1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to book/booklet bindings that can be quickly assembled 37 in house", and more particularly relates to an improved booklet binding system having an internally and anchored positioned plastic multi-ring-type binding element mounted to a three-panel one-piece cover using preferably adhesive mounted entirely interiorly of the cover and spaced therealong so that the one-piece cover when folded can completely cover and hide the plastic binding element, and the papers bound thereto, leaving the cover set exterior surfaces free for printed matter and the like.
2. General Background
For the sake of simplicity and quick categorizing, all binding of printed material can be classified into three groups. Firstly, there is permanent binding such as is used on library books, dictionaries, and hard back books.
A second type of binding is semi-permanent binding which uses a popular commercially available plastic multiple ring spine binding together both the internal papers and the cover set (i.e., front and rear cover panels), wherein the contents can be released with changes being made prior to distribution.
A third type of binding system is known as loose leaf binding which typically is associated with three-ring books used for school work, price lists, catalogs and other releases which are intended for supplementation, deletion and/or changes on an ongoing basis. If the document to be distributed will not be supplemented, it is indeed questionable as to the justification for housing material in a three-ring binder. A drawback to a three-ring binder-type system is the vunerability of the sheets to release from the limited security of three-hole engagement.
Many commercially available binding systems of the temporary binding style provide cover sets with internally concealed metal or plastic rings to engage the loose leaf material. A common example is the three-ring binder which uses a metallic three-ring structure usually riveted to the cover set, which includes a three-panel cover--namely, a front and rear cover with a smaller back or spine portion connecting the front and rear cover together with scores therebetween.
Another type of loose leaf binder is the two-hole or three hole fastener which includes generally front and rear cover panels with internal pages that are secured together with metallic bendable tabs that are inserted through the cover pieces as well as the loose leaf pages.
A commercially available binding system is the aforementioned plastic spine binding system which uses a plurality of very closely spaced multiple plastic rings (e.g., 19 rings for 11" margin) integrally attached to a plastic spine member. With this type of binding system, both the front and rear cover as well as the loose leaf papers are punched with a series of closely spaced-apart rectangular openings. The plastic multi-ring binder element is visable since it necessarily holds the two piece (front and rear) cover set as well as the loose leaf paper.
Plastic multi-ring binding element systems are commercially available. One of the larger manufacturers of such binding systems is the General Binding Corporation of Northbrook, Ill. Their binding products are sold under the mark "GBC". Binding systems manufactured and sold under the mark "GBC" include electric binding machines, manual binding machines, and combination punch and bind machines. General Binding Corporation sells plastic bindings which include various ring diameters such as, for example, small diameters of three sixteenths inches (3/16") for holding a capacity of twelve (12) sheets and large diameter rings of two inches (2") for example, for binding in excess of 400 sheets of paper. Two-piece cover sets are used as front and rear covers for the binding with plastic binding members having multiple spaced-apart rings, such as, for example, nineteen (19) ring systems, when the sheets are bound on eleven inch (11") binding margin.
The problems with plastic binding systems having two-piece cover sets include handling, filing, stacking, storing and an unpresentable appearance. The exposed unprotected plastic is an unprofessional looking binding system that is unfit and/or undesirable for many types of books and presentations. Further, the plastic spine member provides a curved or convexed outer surface which is often difficult/expensive to print. Printing on the spine or element back is desireable so that contents/name of the book can be identified by examining the spine as the book rests on a shelf or in a stack. Further, the two-piece cover set in combination with the plastic multi-ring binder provides a document which can be difficult to stack and store because the paper is almost invariably much thinner than the diameter of the ring.